Beefsteak club tankard

Silver tankard engraved with the arms of Arthur Champernowne (1708-1766) - Gules a saltire vair between twelve billets or - of Dartington Hall, Dartington, Devon impaling those of his wife Jane Hollings (died 1780). - Argent, a chevron azure in chief four crosses formée fitchée of the second. and the inscription 'Beef and Liberty', above a gridiron. Hallmarks on base for John Pero, London, 1735.

'Beef and Liberty' was a slogan associated with English and British nationalism in the 18th century. A number of 'beefsteak clubs' were established in this period, almost exclusively composed of men, and dedicated to drinking and witty conversation. The first of these clubs was established in London in 1705, but the best-known, The Sublime Society of Beefsteaks, was not formed until 1735 and remained extant until 1867. It was initially founded by notable figures from the art and theatrical worlds, including John Rich and William Hogarth, but membership eventually encompassed aristocratic wits and patrons as well. This silver tankard may have been used for the drinking of toasts and pledges at such a club. It is engraved with the arms of Arthur Champernowne (1708-66), a member of the Devonshire gentry; impaling the paternal arms of his wife Jane (nee Hollings), whom he married at St George's, Bloomsbury, in 1735. Jane was the daughter of John Hollings, physician to George II. Given the hallmark for 1735, and the combined arms, the tankard may have been a marriage gift. Despite the date, there does not seem to be an association with the Sublime Society of Beefsteaks, as Champernowne is not recorded as being a founding member. It is possible that the tankard was engraved at a later date.